The data is quite clear to date: Roma will have to pay almost 40 million euros to the Blues to permanently transfer their striker; Atalanta, for its part, needs to deposit a check for 22 million euros on the Rossoneri office to acquire the former Bruges player. De Ketelaere (11 goals/8 assists) and Lukaku (19 goals/4 assists) are both having a convincing season, but he is still missing the little extra needed to get the pens out.
From Ketelaere: a question of time
Decisive passer during the feat in the previous round in Liverpool and scorer ten days ago in Monza, Charles De Ketelaere managed to erase his dark season in Milan to highlight his personality and his efficiency under the colors of Déa. The managers are happy with its performance and are now ready to make the financial effort necessary to exercise the purchase option.
”I suggest Charles confirm his residence in Bergamo”joked club CEO Luca Percassi, even if coach Gian Piero Gasperini prefers not to come forward: “He has a lot of room for improvement, but we currently have other thoughts and other objectives to achieve”.
Already credited with nearly 14 million euros in UEFA bonuses thanks to its run in the Europa League, Atalanta could still amass an additional 8.5 million euros in the event of a final victory. That is the exact amount to be released to complete the De Ketelaere file. Coincidence? Even if the Bergamo team is in any case ready to pay the amount requested by AC Milan, it is obvious that such a scenario would allow the negotiations to go even faster. This will first come through two big performances against Marseille.
Lukaku: a question of money
On the other hand, this bonus turns out to be much more essential to AS Rome given the amount twice as high claimed by Chelsea for Big Rom. Especially since it would be added to the bonus of almost 19 million euros in the event of participation in the next Champions League (via the championship or the Europa League since the winner obtains his ticket). In the capital of the Boot, discussions are in any case not yet on the agenda given the absence of a sporting director (Tiago Pinto has not yet been replaced), but releasing such a sum seems when even very complicated.
The first idea of Roma – who already paid 6 million euros last summer for the arrival of Lukaku – would rather be to negotiate a second year of loan with Chelsea. Whatever happens, it will therefore be necessary to invest a significant sum to keep the almost 31-year-old Belgian (May 13). And it is for this reason that a great end to the season would reassure its management.
“He’s a Chelsea player, we’ll be careful”: will Romelu Lukaku return to London this summer?
Recently suffering from physical problems in his thigh, Lukaku has missed two of the last three championship matches. And he has only scored three times in the last two months. Back in the group to challenge Bayer Leverkusen in the semi-final, he will therefore have to prove his worth one last time. “We will take another day to evaluatewarned his trainer Daniele De Rossi this Wednesday. He seems to be doing quite well, maybe today we will push a little more and then we will decide.”
